The Ten Shaolin Laws

[Emiko H]

Dear Guests and Shaolin Wahnam Family,

It is my pleasure to open this thread on one of our most fundamental and cherished aspects of the Shaolin Teachings: the Ten Shaolin Laws. I would like to invite each and everyone of you to peruse the passage below and then to consider the following questions.

For Shaolin Wahnam Family Members:

How do these laws resonate for you, specifically in your shaolin training, and in your daily lives?

For our Guests:

Do you have a set of laws/code of conduct/set of ethics that you live by? If so, would you care to share them with us and how they have enhanced your quality of life?

Preamble to the Ten Shaolin Laws

The Ten Shaolin Laws are non-religious, and transcend all cultures and races, i.e. people of any culture and race would agree that they promote values that are worthy and desirable. Laws, in the Shaolin tradition, are not meant to be punitive or restrictive, but as practical means to help followers achieve set aims and objectives; in this case to help them attain the best possible results in practising Shaolin Kungfu for combat efficiency, joyful living, mind expansion, and spiriitual fulfilment.

There is no legal biding on the Ten Shaolin Laws; one cannot be prosecuted in a law court if he breaks these laws. The binding is moral. But they are not forced upon the follower; the follower accepts them because he chooses to, because he believes they are helpful to him in his physical, emotional, mental and spiritual cultivation. If he breaks the laws, despite sufficient warnings, he may be asked to leave the Shaolin training, not as a punishment, but because the training is not suitable for him.



THE TEN SHAOLIN LAWS


1. Required to respect the master, honour the Moral Way and love fellow disciples as brothers and sisters.

2. Required to train the Shaolin arts diligently, and as a pre-requisite, to be physically and mentally healthy.

3. Required to be filial to parents, be respectful to the elderly, and protective of the young.

4. Required to uphold righteousness, and to be both wise and courageous.

5. Forbidden to be ungrateful and unscrupulous, ignoring the Laws of man and heaven.

6. Forbidden to rape, molest, do evil, steal, rob, abduct or cheat.

7. Forbidden to associate with wicked people; forbidden to do any sorts of wickedness.

8. Forbidden to abuse power, be it official or physical; forbidden to oppress the good and bully the kind.

9. Obliged to be humane, compassionate and spread love, and to realize everlasting peace and happiness for all people.

10. Obliged to be chivalrous and generous, to nurture talents and pass on the Shaolin arts to deserving disciples.

Whether you are an instructor or a beginning student, whether you are a family member or a guest from another tradition, this invitation is extended out to all the members of this forum.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and perspectives.


Best wishes,


Emiko Hsuen

[Michael Udel]

Thanks for getting this started, Si Je Emiko.

Regarding the first of the Ten Shaolin Laws, I didn't fully understand the purpose of showing respect to the master until the recent Intensive Kungfu course that completed earlier this month in Sungai Petani. In the online Question and Answer, Sifu had repeatedly explained in some detail the reason for respecting the master is for the student's benefit, not the teachers. Although I understood when reading, I didn't fully get the knowledge until I met Sifu.

In chi-kung, the physical posture of the practitioner affects the flow of chi both inside the body and between the two polarities of heaven and earth. When the physical posture is correct, the circuit between heaven and earth is completed and the chi will flow into and through the practitioner, thereby increasing his chi level.

Similar to a physical posture, a mental attitude of respect allows for the knowledge to pass from the master to the student. Having the right attitude, having respect for your master, is necessary to understand the higher levels of learning your master can give to you. Without the right attitude, the circuit is broken, and the knowledge cannot flow to the student.

My experience at the Intensive Kungfu Course on the very first day was remarkable. Sifu taught at the highest level I have ever experienced, and he did so with very little information. He said very little, in fact I can not recall what he said during the first session, but I felt that he was elevating my spirit, an effect that lasted all week. Without having respect for Sifu, I could not have received such high level teaching. Having such an experience of high level teaching, and feeling my spirit become elevated, made the entire course worthwhile. I would not have wanted to miss the experience because of the wrong kind of attitude.

During the graduation dinner, Charles (Cha Muir) asked if any of Sifu's kungfu brothers from Sigung Ho's classes were still teaching, and Sifu said most people are not keen to teach. Charles knew the Ten Shaolin Laws and asked if they weren't obligated to teach. Sifu explained that it was he who codified the laws during his career as a teacher following an incident where one of his students broke what was the generally accepted code of conduct. It was a very interesting martial arts story that Sifu said he intended to write down and publish one day. The story showed what a generous man Sifu is, a quality that is obvious when you spend time with him.

Michael

[Jonny Say]

I have been amazed recently how the 10 Shaolin Laws begin to resonate more deeply within you as your training develops.

When I first started my Shaolin training I read the laws and understood them intelectually and thought 'now thats a way to live your life'. As my training has developed I have felt the essence of the laws to become more intuative and a feeling of them beginning to shine through more and more in every action in life. For example the way one stands, sits, eats and communicates with other people becomes for example more righteous, wise and courageous.

I have deeply enjoyed the feeling of the laws being expressed through the heart and look forward to exploring how this develops. I have also found it very useful to take time to read them and let them sink in reguarly.

Best wishes

[LeeWeiJoo]

Greetings Si Jie Emiko

I will try to answer as best I can, being a recent newcomer to Shaolin Wahnam Kung Fu.

I believe that as one progresses further into Shaolin Wahnam training, he will gradually and inevitably come to embody the Ten Shaolin Laws. This is because, in my belief, our training opens up a person's heart and spirit, and as a result the person will become wiser and more compassionate. I myself have already felt some of the changes; I am more courageous and compassionate than before.

In my daily life, I am more humble, appreciateve of others, and outgoing. I realize that there is still a long way for me to go, but at least I have taken the first step.

In my Shaolin Kung Fu training, I realize that I must be gradual in my progress. Before, I would train to push my limits, focusing on time and achievement instead. However, now I realize that training diligently doesn't mean quantity, it means training according to your abilities, and improving gradually over time. A correct state of mind, free of pressure, is very important.

Guan Yin's blessings.

[barrys]

Emiko Sije,

Thanks for the opportunity to think about this

I was lucky. "Respecting the Master" was an attitude I made a decision to adopt before my first course with Sifu. When he walked in and said "Smile from the heart" it was easy at the time to be clear I had made a good decision. However, I also have a Tai Chi Chuan instructor who teaches Chi Kung. I began to worry about how I would follow both of their instructions. At times I felt guilty that I might not be doing "it"/this part of my life right. To complicate things I also met another master practising locally who practices healing chi kung. I went to see him for some specific ailments and found out he also taught another form of Chi Kung. For some time I went through doubts about what I should do. I now respect Sifu, Harry and Sifu Alex Wong. All of them have spent many years on a path of spiritual cultivation. I have made my decision to follow Sifu and learn from Harry and Sifu Alex Wong where it doesn't conflict with Sifu. I am clear with myself and other people about the decision I have made.

I honour the Moral Way to the best of my ability and learn where I can. Step 10 of the AA program suggests "Continuing to take personal inventory and where wrong promptly admitting it". Recognising my struggles and difficulties as a normal human being in following the path I have chosen makes it easy to love people on the same path.

Again, practising diligently was easy when I started with Sifu. I had both made a decision and heard him say this was the best approach. I also heard him say to follow his instructions to the best of my ability - which I do.

I won't go through them all as it would end up in far too long a post. Looking at them now however, it seems to me that one way of looking at things is that 1-2 are the ways of stepping onto/being on the path.

3-8 are the ways for me of clearing out unhelpful ways of being. I know they are unhelpful ways of being because I have done the opposite and also had the opposite done to me at times. I don't just do these things because they are written down but because they make sense in my life. I think for me it also clears blockages of guilt and fear - things that have plagued me for a long time. As I continue in the process of "letting go" having less in the closet helps me to do that.

9-10 for me are the opportunities/rewards of stepping onto the path. Step 12 of the AA program explains the founders experience "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry the message to other alcoholics and to practise these principles in all our affairs". Another saying in AA is that "in order to keep it you have to give it away".

Thanks again Emiko,

Barry

[Ray]

Dear friends,
The first time I saw these laws my mind said initially: "No problem!" It is later on as I reached more subtle levels of my spiritual training that I realized how powerful and difficult these laws really are. First of all, I also want to point out that despite the fact that I have never met Sifu Wong if all I had were these laws than I would already know that he is a profound and loving person.
I vowed to follow all the laws because I felt a great obligation to, in other words, if I did not have the moral and spiritual foundation to follow these laws I did not deserve to practice Shaolin Kungfu.
The third law was especially difficult for me, given that I had always had a little trouble getting along with my mother. It was this third law that inspired me to concoct my plan to help her as well as steel my nerve to really put in enough effort to get along with her. It is still difficult but I keep taking strides forward.
These laws combined with the "vows" I made from the Yoga Sutra are how I live my life. This along with Sifu Stier's recent "big test" post on the Shen men tao thread show for me how difficult the path of a true spiritual warrior (er "wuxia" is a better term for me) can be but I know that this really is my destiny and that there is no more rewarding and truer path in life than the one I'm walking. If I don't reach full buddhahood in this lifetime, I can console myself with the fact that I left this world with my feet in the right direction

Divineshadow

[jez]

When i first read the the ten shaolin laws my first impression
was that any of these values would do the upholder great benefits in their training,but as
I progressed the laws had more and more weight in my mind.I realised that
these laws were not confined to your training,example.If you take the first law
and apply that to your work,you would be able to work freely without
getting caught up in being frustrated with your work mates.Just one reason
why these laws will benefit your life,training and best of all everyone who is connected to you will benefit also.

[Charles David]

Dear Si Je Emiko,

Thank you for starting this thread.

Dear Friends and Family,

Prior to my training with Sifu, I had done many unwise things in my life.
Therefore, the law that I tend to consider most often these days is "Required to be wise".

I think to the uninitiated this might not make sense--wisdom is something that is accumulated and which builds up over time, they might think. In fact, being wise is a matter of choice. We can choose to be foolish or to be wise.

Therefore I am very pleased to be living my life wisely, consciously and by choice?






Question: Can the same can be said of the rest of the Laws? For example, "Obliged to...Realize everlasting peace and happiness for all people". "How in the world am I supposed to do that?" one might say. Well, what do you think? Can we, in the same manner, simply decide that we are going to realize this everlasting peace and happiness and then "so it is"?
In other words: Have YOU Realized this peace? Can it be done, just so, with your conscious will and choice?

[dra9on]

Greetings Si Je Emiko

Thanks for this interesting thread which allows me to express something that I've picked up from the Shaolin Intensive Course.

At a glance, the Ten Shaolin laws are not difficult for me .. for I believe in what goes around, comes around .. having learnt from the school of hard knocks.

The amazing thing is that, the values which supports these laws are personified by Sifu's air of uprightness, confidence, and benevolence..
Even in the 1st few moments, 1 can't help but be compelled by his righteous and loving aura.

Like kids, where lectures are only effective to a certain level - as compared to imitating adult behaviour - Sifu is certainly a powerful and authoritative role model which inspires us to replicate.

If we had more of such role models, this World wld certainly be a more caring one.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by cha muir

Can we, in the same manner, simply decide that we are going to realize this everlasting peace and happiness and then "so it is"?
In other words: Have YOU Realized this peace? Can it be done, just so, with your conscious will and choice?

Dear friends,

My answer is yes, since we are linked in infinitely beautiful and subtle ways. I really feel this within me, this peace and vast joy. By conscious will, choice, dedication and perseverance I believe it can be done and I believe that as we continue to develop we will be lifting each other up at the same time.

Interconnected and smiling,

Divineshadow